Jasprit Bumrah and Sam Konstas (Getty Images) After India face Oz pace heat, new captain Bumrah sets stage for fiery Day Two with ball, sizzles with bat too...
SYDNEY: India were left facing some fundamental questions about their approach to Test cricket as the team moved on from Rohit Sharma's captaincy in some tough batting conditions here at the SCG. As the day wound to a close with dramatic scenes of confrontation between Jasprit Bumrah and Sam Konstas when India bowled just before stumps, the batsmen must have been wondering if their knuckledown, attritional approach against a relentless Australian attack would eventually show in the results column. Had it been the right choice to bat first on a green top? Had they been positive enough? Wasn't their approach tentative at times? Perhaps they had done well to merely survive and avoid more chaos? IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant on dropped Rohit Sharma, criticism, Jasprit Bumrah This is, after all, a must-win Test, but on the face of it, India have started out the same way as in some previous games in the series.
A subpar first-innings performance. No substantial match-turning partnerships. Some injudicious strokes.
And another final session batting collapse, which saw six wickets fall for 78 runs as India folded for 185 in 72.2 overs. There was, however, a major point of difference.
India seemed unbothered by the crawling run rate. The Sydney pitch wasn't the usual one. There was grass cover, but the wicket was on the slower side,.
